


Like His Father's Dice

by BurntKloverfield



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Ben Solo Lives, F/M, Force Bond (Star Wars), Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Fix-It, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Spoilers, The Force, force projection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-09
Updated: 2020-01-09
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:28:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22187104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BurntKloverfield/pseuds/BurntKloverfield
Summary: Here's how Ben Solo can still be alive
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 20
Kudos: 92
Collections: BurntKloverfield's Reylo Ficlets, I Fixed It: a collection of TROS fix it fics





	Like His Father's Dice

The moment Ben Solo landed on Exegol, he paused. He knew that Rey was there, that Rey was there to face Palpatine, to face her lineage, to save the Galaxy. He also knew that Palpatine had great power that permeated everything in Ben's life. Palpatine had been every voice in his head for so long, but Ben knew how to slide out of sight of him, keep his signature shielded, veil his intentions. He had done so when he had killed Snoke. He can do it again.

"I'll always be with you," Luke's voice resonated through the Force.

For once, Ben wasn't sure if it was Luke's voice or Palpatine masquerading as Luke, but it gave him an idea. He had watched his uncle disappear before his eyes, and afterwards, he had felt his father's dice fade in his hand. After the Battle of Crait, Ben had thrown himself into a flurry of research of the different possibilities in the Force. The Force Bond with Rey had been a surprise, and there was such little information he could find on it. The Force Projection his uncle had displayed had been so powerful that even droids and tech could detect the mighty Luke Skywalker. In the end, the effort had been so great that it had killed him. It won't kill Ben. He hoped.

The initial focus was as simple as slipping into the Force, familiar and rushing and clarifying. It was gorgeous, and the first glimmer of his form and consciousness filling the projection felt like only taking a step forward. He glanced down at himself, making sure that he wasn't transparent. He had stripped the soaked outer layer of his Supreme Leader garb the moment he was back on his flagship before he took off in a tie to get down to Exegol, and he was left in the simple under layer. He caught sight of the singed hole that Rey had left in his sweater and the healed skin beneath it. He was reminded of Rey and snapped his head up to look back at Luke's ship she had flown from Ach-to. She was in danger. He was dashing straight into hell.

The Force was with him and Rey in that struggle against Palpatine, every moment, every movement, every breath. And then he was dragged into the air, even with Rey, and thrown into a conveniently placed pit. Calling on all his experiences, all his training, all the Galaxy, he stopped himself midair. He couldn't see the bottom, but he could feel the ache from the side he had crashed into. He struggled to move himself to the wall, where he started pulling himself up. A ripple came in the Force, and whispers of voices filled his mind, calling out to Rey, calling out to him, calling out to the Dyad in the Force to rise.

He could feel the destruction of Palpatine and all the Sith the moment Rey fell to the ground. He gasped and clung to the stone wall, feeling the life flow out of Rey above him. He couldn't let that stop him. He continued upwards, disregarding the pain in his leg, the aching of his body, the exhaustion. He hadn't been prepared for the absolute realm of sensation that filled his Force Projection. He finally caught the edge of the chasm and pulled himself up onto solid ground. He could see the war coming to an end above them, and he could see the destruction around them, but his vision was consumed with the sight of Rey, dead.

He forgot everything as he hobbled to her, cradling her to his chest, feeling the warmth already leaving her body. He held her, waiting for a breath or a heartbeat or a twitch, but Rey was limp and gone. He looked around the rubble, feeling his energy waning, knowing he would not be able to hold the Force Projection much longer. He considered how long it would take for him to once again run down from where his body rested in the ship at the entrance to save Rey. She couldn't wait that long. He couldn't wait that long. She could be gone forever.

Knowing what he had to do, he placed his hand over her abdomen and tapped deeper into the Force, deep into their connection, their Dyadic connection, their intertwined souls. This was the most important act he had ever performed in the Force, bringing the woman he loved back after her fight, her own sacrifice.

When her hand flew to his and she moved, his eyes flew open. She was smiling at him, searching his face, whispering his name. Joy filled his soul, knowing she was okay.

And she kissed him. He had wanted to from the moment he had seen her on Takodana, but she was the one kissing him, her force signature pressing up against his, rejoicing, free to finally be together.

He felt himself go lightheaded, but he beamed. Everything was perfect. Almost.

"I'll come back for you, Sweetheart," he breathed, feeling his strength give way. "I promise." His sight was already going black, and he felt the swell of gravity on him. The only thing keeping him from smacking his head on the stone ground was Rey's grip on his sweater.

His consciousness was back in his body in the ship, and he was gasping, and his face was flushed, and his heart was beating, and he was tumbling from the cockpit. This run was not so different from the one he had made mere minutes before, less enemies, less fighting, more exhaustion, more rubble, the same determination to see the love of his life. Oh, but that was what made all the difference. She loved him, and that spurred him forward.

He skidded into the destruction of the throne room to find Rey, sobbing on the floor, clutching his shirt to her chest, crying out, "Come back!" over and over hoarsely.

As he thundered into the room, he watched as the fabric faded from existence, and panic flooded Rey's form until she finally looked up at him. He fell to his knees, pulling her into his arms, kissed her forehead and her hair and her cheeks and her dimples and her nose and her lips.

"You came back," she rasped.

"I promised," he returned.

**Author's Note:**

> Looking for more? Check out my [profile](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BurntKloverfield/profile) or my [Reylo Ficlets.](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/ReyloFiclets)


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